Sharing....Art Every Day Month Day 13 and Kinda 14 :)

 The theme for this post is about not just creating art everyday...but sharing art today.

Some very profound things happened while in Raleigh at the Art of the Carolina's....

 I was fortunate to be invited to participate in my own way by sharing techniques and tips over in the Strathmore booth featuring their new product line of visual journals.   Can I just say doing things like this is very rewarding, especially when I get to meet people that enjoy seeing other artists work or have heard about me or seen my work and just want to talk with me about my ideas and processes?

 I met a special person today that stopped in the booth and was sitting behind me quietly watching me.  She wanted to meet me after seeing one of my journal pages the night before while it was on display. It touched her in a way that was very emotional.   The words and the imagery connected to her because of a sad situation that is going on in her circle of friends and family....The words I put done came from an experience I had lived through...but to the point that it was an experience or words that someone else was going through in  a different yet similar way was really, really, amazing to me.  To feel that connection through something I created was and is just a wonderful feeling especially because it could help another person cope with the situation if only even a tiny bit by knowing they are not alone in that feeling.

 Later on in the day I conducted a second demo featuring a variety of background techniques.    It's always great to share a bit of what I know with others that are really enthusiastic and engaged in the process.  To share art with others is extremely powerful.  The energy was so positive, it really inspired me.

 After my demo...sweet Michelle shared some of her techniques creating painted paper collages. Michelle is the vice president of the Carolina Mixed Media Guild, the organization which hosted the make and take event in conjunction with Jerry's. Her artwork is amazing as well.   I learned some new tricks and techniques through her generous demonstrations....and it was great to have a new technique that I am definitely interested in incorporating with what I do :) 

Here's my little ATC that I created using Michelle's painted paper collage technique--so sweet :)  

I also sold one of my paintings today that wasn't actually one I was going to sell....but something told me to bring it to the  trade show. It was a piece that was an emotional piece to create...and I recreated it a couple of times before I considered it complete.  The customer saw it and loved  the elements and depth I had incorporated into it....several which spoke to her for her own reasons even though they were totally different from the reasons why I put them in the painting...she connected with the piece and knew she had to have it.  It's funny how connections happen through art...through sharing of art...and through making, creating, and giving art to others.  I hope you never get bored with infusing creativity into your every day.....in anyway that you see fit, it can change your world in so many positive ways.  

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Last but not least, I just wanted to say thank you to Penny Arrowood, who is the President of the Carolina Mixed Media Guild. With her leadership along with the other very dedicated board members , Penny has been the guiding light  making these events we participate in and community art outreach programs happen.   When we talk about giving...Penny has really given it her all to be our leader.  We talked today about the direction of the guild and how when we first joined together, there were about 8 of us....now, the guild has grown tremendously, to almost 100 active members and even more online that follow our group throughout the Carolina's and beyond.  Penny is an artist herself, but that passion has taken a back seat so that she can administer and foster the enhancement of our guild and the artists members of this guild.  It's a huge sacrifice for her not to be able to create as much as she would like to for the sake of other artists' advancement, but one that she does with vision and enthusiasm like none other I have ever seen.  

Thank you Penny, for all that you do.  You have helped create an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, and motivating for us all. 

Talk about sharing.